Genesis

In the year 2029, an alien pandemic spreads all over the Japan after a devastating meteor crash, driving the country into total chaos. An international organization by the name GHQ enters Japan, putting it in a state of martial law, and implanting the idea that they cannot do anything to protect themselves without their aid.

10 years pass, and we now see the world of "Guilty Crown" through the eyes of Shu Ouma, an average 17-year-old teenager who lives a normal life. However, his normal life style is soon shattered after his chance encounter with Inori Yuzuriha, who eventually involves him with the anti-government group she is a part of.

Plot Summary

Opening theme:

"Euterpe" by fictional band, EGOIST (ep 1)

Night view of Tokyo, 2039

It is night time in the city
of Tokyo, Japan in the year 2039, and a young brown-haired teenager is
seen standing at his balcony, watching a music video on a
media player.

Egoist Vocalist - Inori

In the meantime, the same vocalist
seen in the video is currently running away with a tiny robot, as a group of
soldiers and mechs chase after her. As
the girl runs, somebody is heard communicating to her through the earpiece she
has placed on her ear. The masculine voice asks her if she secured the “key”, referring
to the cylindrical vial she’s carrying. The girl gives him an affirmative response,
and he then tells her that he’ll guide her out.

Explosion throwing Inori off track

The pursuing mechs catch up to the girl, and shoot at her.
The vocalist is badly injured, yet continues running while securing the vail.
She then opens Funnell, the robot accompanying her, and places the vial inside
it, telling it to take the vial to Gai. At that time, a mech manages to lock on
to the girl and shoots her, however, another mech appears, protecting the
vocalist. The pilot of the mech tells the vocalist that she’ll cover for her ,
so she needs to take the vial to Gai. The vocalist follows her orders, however,
as she runs away a massive explosion occurs, making her fall off the bridge she
was standing on and falling into the water running below.

Ride to school

In the morning, the
brown-haired teenager that was watching the music video is seen riding the
subway. A girl named Hare calls out to him, and his name is revealed to be Shu.
While Shu was reading on his media player, he notices from the window that
there were a lot of soldier officials in the area. Hare then tells him that
there was a “terrorist” attack the day before in Odaiba, now known as “Ward 24”.

Souta and Yahiro

As the students began to
take their seats during home room, two
of Shu’s classmates, Souta and Yahiro, approach him. Shu tells them both that
he is still not finished working on the video that he was supposed to finish
for a competition. Souta tells Shu that that wasn’t the reason why he wanted to
talk to him. Shu still assured him that he’ll get the video done. Souta was
about to tell Shu something but then Yahiro steps in, and tells Souta that its
alright, and that they’re counting on him. All the students take their seats
and Shu overhears Hare saying that she feels bad for Souta. Shu didn’t understand
why she’d say that, and tells her that he’s trying to be as perceptive as
possible. Hare then responds by telling Shu that he isn’t succeeding, and he’s
too dense.

Shu and ``friends``

Shu begins thinking to
himself and about his own personality. He admits that his mind is out of step
with those around him, and that he is never sure what to say to others. That is
the reason why he hides his nervousness and goes along with what his friends
say; calling his friendship “pseudo-friendship”. Shu then begins to explain
Japan’s current political situation. He
calls Japan a “quasi-independent” nation.

GHQ

10 years ago, the Apocalypse
Virus pandemic spread all over Japan and wreaked havoc throughout its entirety.
After the pandemic, Japan became reliant on international aids, and it still
does; causing its own foundations to barely be held together. The international association that has now taken over the Japanese government is known as GHQ. Shu then
questions himself whether or not it’s alright to be so powerless and if there
is anything he can do.

Song in an abandoned building

Lost in his own thoughts, Shu
heads out to an abandoned building where he works on his video projects so he can
eat his lunch. Suddenly, a singing voice grabs his attention, and he notices
that the vocalist of the online band he’s been watching was in the building. He
stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, and notices that she hurt her
upper arm. He takes a step closer to her, and accidently steps on a can. The
girl hears him and stops singing. Funnell shoots out a metal wire at Shu, which
wraps around his leg, and trips him. Shu begins to explain himself, but the
vocalist backed away from him, and she accidentally bumps into the computer
with his video edits. His video begins to play, with a clip of birds flying up
into the sky. Shu tells her that it is a clip from his hometown and that he isn’t
finished yet. The girl tells him that the video is very pretty. Suddenly, the
girl’s stomach growls and Shu offers her some of his lunch.

"Take it"

After eating, the girl sings
“London Bridge is Falling Down” to herself, and Shu awkwardly starts to ask her
if she is actually Inori Yuzuriha, the vocalist of the online band. EGOIST. She
doesn’t reply, and Shu then asks her why she’s here and why she’s injured. Inori
then tells him that they need to take “this thing” to Gai (referring to the vial in Funnell). She
then holds out a Batoka Gorge
figure made with a string, and she asks Shu to take it, telling him that he may
be able to do it if he tries, but he’ll never be able to if he doesn’t. She then
asks him if he’s a coward. Shu suddenly gets a series of flashbacks which he doesn’t
understand.

GHQ officials

When he snaps out of it, GHQ officials storm into the building, and
Inori begins starts to run away, but they catch her. The officials ask Shu if
he’s a student and tell him that Inori is a criminal. They then tell him that
if he had any connection with her, they’ll consider him an accomplice. Shu gets
scared as they point their guns towards him and takes cover. The officials then
leave, dragging Inori with them. Shu remains in the building, ashamed of how much of a coward he is, yet, relieved that
it was all over. Suddenly, Funnell reveals a digital map of the place where it
needs to go to give Gai the vail. Shu decides to do something unlike him so
that he wouldn’t hate himself, and he heads out to the location Funnell showed
him.

GHQ Head Commander

In the meantime, the Supreme
Commander of GHQ is seen talking to Koudou Shuuichirou, a member of Sephirah
Genomics, asking him about the stolen Void Genome (the stolen vial).
Shuuichirou tells him that the informations is 3A classified information, and
he cannot share it. However, he tells them that his Anti Bodies have already
caught the culprit (referring to Inori), and that he dispatched a squadron to
Roppongi to deal with the `terrorists`.

Inori's Interrogation

Inori is then seen being
interrogated by the Anti Bodies who have taken her earlier, warning her that if
she doesn’t tell them where the vial was, they will purge every single resident
in the neighborhood. Inori remains silent, despite being threatened and having
a blade put to her face. Seeing that she won`t talk, Guin, the major of the
Anti Bodies gives his squadron the authority to kill the residents.

"Greetings, my deceased fellows"

Shu is then seen wandering,
while carrying Funnell. Suddenly a bunch
of thugs show up, asking him whether or not Funnell can cook rice. Shu responds
with a hesitant voice, telling them that he doesn’t know. The thug then punches
him, telling him to hand over Funnell. Shu refuses, and apologizes. At that
moment, several beam lights turn on, and someone approaches them. The man was
young, with long blond hair, and he provokes the thugs by calling them “deceased
fellows”. Some of the thugs begin to murmur to each other in fear, while
calling the man “Gai”. The thug that wanted to take Funnell then pulls out a
blade and dashes towards Gai. He then effortlessly beats him up along with
other thugs, while others run away. Shu watches with amazement as Gai takes the
thugs single-handedly. A girl who accompanied Gai then shows up, taking Funnell
away from Shu. It is later revealed that her name is Tsugumi.

Shu's disgrace

Gai happens to know Shu’s
name, and he asks him what happened to Inori. Shu doesn’t reply and avoids Gai’s
eyes. Gai then asks Shu if he just abandoned her, and Shu doesn’t reply.
Suddenly an explosion grabs their attention, and one of Gai’s followers tell Gai
that the GHQ officials are invading, killing everyone they see. Gai tells Shu
to run away and protect the vial this time.

Amidst the chaos, the
vehicle that Inori was held captive in topples over, and opens; allowing her to
escape. Inori then makes it out; however, she is surrounded by enemy mechs. Shu
sees Inori, and dashes her way to save her. As Shu leaps towards Inori and
takes her in his arms, the vial which was in his chest pocket slips out, and
was accidently shot by the enemy. The Void Genome is released, and Shu is
infected by it.

Void Genome's Effects

Shu finds himself in an
unusual white setting, along with Inori. A symbol appears on Shu’s right hand,
and Inori tells Shu to use her. Inori’s upper chest begins to glow, and Shu
starts seeing another series of peculiar flashbacks. One of the people in the
flashbacks was a pink-haired girl, who held the same Botaka Gorge string figure
as Inori. A voice begins talking to Shu telling him to take it this time, the
guilty crown that gives shape through the bond between hearts. The flashbacks
end with the pink-haired girl standing in the snow, with a smiling face.

Shu's awakened powers

Shu’s eyes flash open, now
more serious and red in color. He then pulls out a sword from Inori, and blocks
the missiles shot from the enemy using a defense circle generated from the sword.
Shu then uses the sword and slashes the attacking mech, destroying it.

Closing theme:

"Departures: Anata ni Okuru Ai no Uta" by the fictional band Egoist

Points of Interests

King's Power

Shu uses his King's power for the first time.

Opening Theme: Even though there is no opening theme song or sequence, Inori Yuzuriha sings on Shu's cellphone.

Credits

Redjuice Graphics is a company that is in charge of the character design and CG for Guilty Crown franchise. This is listed as a person because on Animenewsnetwork, they are credited for the original character design for Guilty Crown.